ARTICLES FEATURING LAURA

Issaquah Reporter
Oct 20 2010, 1:01 PM
When my editor first suggested an article on hypnosis, images of people
lined up on a stage in Las Vegas quacking like ducks
immediately came to my mind. Then he suggested I give it a try for a first
person report on the process.
“Um…uh…okay,” I sputtered.
Then I kind of warmed to the idea. Maybe it’ll be fun. Besides, what’s the
worst that could happen? I didn’t think imagining yourself as waterfowl could
cause any permanent harm, and this wasn’t the first time I’d heard about
hypnosis or hypnotherapy.
All quacking aside, I knew that some people swore by its effectiveness. I
decided to go for it and made my appointment with Laura Rude of Secret Changes
Hypnosis in Issaquah.
The term hypnosis comes from the Greek word hypnos, meaning sleep. But being
hypnotized is not actually drifting off into sweet slumber. According to Rude,
there are four different levels of consciousness: Beta – fully awake; Alpha – a
relaxed, daydreaming, creative state (conducive for hypnosis); Theta – deep
hypnosis and dreaming; and Delta – deep sleep.
Getting your mind into the alpha state through hypnosis allows you to be
more responsive to suggestions and more willing to accept new ideas. But that
doesn’t mean that hypnotherapy is “Big Brother” mind control.
“There is still a misconception that a person in hypnosis can be under the
control of the person hypnotizing them. Nothing can be further than the truth.
A person under hypnosis is in full control at all times,” said Rude.
Sounds good. I like the idea of being in control.
My appointment started with a brief discussion of my health history, my
current lifestyle and what I wanted to get from the session. She then motioned
toward the overstuffed recliner in the corner. I kicked off my shoes, reclined
fully and cuddled up with a fluffy blanket resembling the skin of an oversized
teddy bear.
I was surprised at how fast I reached relaxation state. In no time, my eyes
closed and I released the muscle tension that attached to me every day. Like
Rude had said, I was fully aware of my surroundings – I heard the music, her
soothing words, and even drifted occasionally back to life matters, like how
was I going to describe this experience. But through it all I couldn’t (or
didn’t want to) open my eyes or move my sandbag-laden limbs.
She walked me through various mental images as I sunk deeper into an alpha
state. The images weren’t vivid like on a television screen or even in a dream.
They were more the intangible suggestion of a flowing picture that never fully
formed, but whose essence flitted through my thoughts.
The experience sounds kind of mystical, and felt quite otherworldly at the
time, but traditional Western medicine has acknowledged the effectiveness of
this technique for many decades. In 1958, the American Medical Association
acknowledged hypnotherapy as a “useful technique in the treatment of certain
illnesses when employed by qualified medical and dental personnel.”
More recently, a January 2000 article in the Journal of the American Medical
Association noted that hypnosis “assists patients in obtaining deep levels of
relaxation, which often lead to more peaceful sleep, increased energy, and a
diminished experience of pain.” Pain management is one of the health concerns
that Rude treats. Many of her clients also see her to stop smoking, lose
weight, reduce stress or get rid of bad habits.
Finding a hypnotherapist requires the same care as choosing any other health
practitioner. The first question you should ask is whether they are licensed or
certified. The Washington Department of Health requires registration of
hypnotherapists, and several professional organizations across the country
offer certification, like the National Board for Certified Clinical
Hypnotherapists and the National Guild of Hypnotists.
When it was time to return to beta consciousness, like many of her patients,
I resisted. It’s not often that we give ourselves a chance to detach from the
demands of daily life and focus all our energy inward.
At the end of my first session, I felt both relaxed and rejuvenated, but I’m
not currently floating on a peaceful cloud of zen. Most hypnosis treatment
plans require more than one appointment, and only time will tell if my
experience worked. Either way, the half hour I spent in my hypnotic trance was
well worth it.
Quack, quack.

The information on this website is for educational purposes only. Hypnotherapy is not intended to replace your mental or health care practitioners, rather to be used as an adjunct for any medical or other program you are following. I do not diagnose, prescribe for, or treat any physical, mental or psychological ailment.